VOLKSWAGEN RACING CUP BLASTS BACK INTO ACTION AT SILVERSTONE
The Volkswagen Racing Cup returns for the second round of the 2020 season at Silverstone, the home of British Motorsport. The shortened season means that every point counts, with Richard Gilbert, off the back of his double victory at Oulton Park, aiming to hold onto his championship lead.
It will be the first time the series has utilised the National circuit, having favoured the Grand Prix circuit since its reconfiguration in 2011. New for the 2020 season, the VW Cup will be supporting the Dunlop Touring Car Trophy, giving them prime BRSCC TV coverage on track as the same time as the premier series.
One of the returning faces from 2019, Russell Joyce, took his third Hankook Trophy victory at Silverstone last year, during a campaign in which he recorded the success five times. Having dominated the Hankook rankings, Joyce now has a shot at overall podiums, again piloting his reliable Golf, run by Power Maxed Racing.
Joyce missed the opening round but has become a series regular in recent years and could provide a solid challenge to championship leader Gilbert, whose surprise double victory cam courtesy of JM Racing, co-run by 2019 Silverstone race winner Mark Wakefield.
Oulton Park marked JM Racing’s first venture into the series and after a last-minute entry, the pair quickly got the new Golf up to pace with the Cheshire driver, scouting not only his maiden victory, but back-to-back success as now-BTCC driver Ollie Brown followed him home.
Another of Oulton Park’s stars, Bradley Kent, will also be back on the entry list. Brother of TCR UK-runner up Lewis Kent, the Scirocco impressed, recording pole position on his maiden outing. Unfortunately for the Essex driver, his luck did not follow him to the races and as we prepare for a sunnier Sunday, Kent could yet reignite the speed he promised.
A top-six finish for Jeff Alden at the opening round will buoy the Matrix with Maximum Motorsport driver for further success this weekend in his Golf Mk7.
Returning to the series for the first time since 2018 will be Paul Ivens. The 51-year-old will once again race for the Maximum Motorsport team that guided him to eighth in the standings during a competitive 2016 season. Last time he visited Silverstone in the VW Cup, he finished as the second-highest Scirocco, a result he will hope to emulate this weekend.
Qualifying takes place on Saturday at 12:00pm, with both races on Sunday Livestreamed on social media courtesy of the BRSCC and Alpha Live. Race one begins at 12:45 with Race two at 16:30.
Stu Lane (Original post on VW Racing Cup website)
